A Wright Christmas Carol
by AlyCat20
Summary: On Christmas Eve in 2016 Los Angeles, Phoenix Wright is alone in his office, feeling a bit depressed. With his mentor Mia Fey no longer at his side, he has doubts on his abilities to become a prominent attorney. But when something miraculous occurs that very night, will he have a change of heart? An Ace Attorney adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey, people! This is my first Ace Attorney fanfic, as I'm still a bit of a new author around here. Anyway, in case you didn't know, this is my version of telling Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Ace Attorney style! I've read through the novel, and I'm going to make a lot of correlations between the book and this story (but I can't make parallels to everything). Also, every chapter title is one of my favorite Christmas songs, and they have a certain relation to what the chapter is about (see if you can figure out how they relate to each chapter). But of course, this story will still retain its classic Ace Attorney wittiness. I hope you enjoy the story as Christmas approaches!**

 **One more thing: before you keep reading, you have been warned that this story has Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations spoilers (the latter game's first case being spoiled in chapter 2).**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Ace Attorney franchise or its characters and plots; nor do I own the characters and plot of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." I also do not own the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." However, I do proudly own this fanfiction's plot.**

* * *

Chapter One~ It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Date: December 24, 2016

Time: 8:30 PM

Location: Wright & Co. Law Offices

" _It's the hap- happiest season of all... with those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings when friends come to call..._ "

A group of festive carolers sing these lines with all of their hearts as the very special holiday draws near within the dwindling hours. As they sing, a spiky-haired man hunched over in his coat briskly pushes by, almost as if he was trying to ignore the jolly atmosphere of the group.

" _It's the hap- happiest season of all... there'll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow..._ "

The rushed man soon approached a building with a sign near the door, inscribed with the title "Wright & Co. Law Offices." He fumbled for a key in his pocket, and when he found it, he promptly jammed it into the office door's lock.

" _There'll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago..._ "

The man opened the door and immediately let himself inside. To prevent the winter wind from making any further attacks, he slammed the door behind him, which effectively blocked out the voices of the gleeful carolers. _How are they able to stand out there for so long...?_ The man thought to himself.

Just then, a cheery voice sounded from a few feet away. "Hiya, Nick!" greeted an enthusiastic woman dressed in purple.

"Hey, Maya," Phoenix replied.

"Guess what?" Maya teased with a mischievous look in her eye.

Phoenix sighed, bracing himself for what was going to come out of her mouth next. "What is it?"

"Remember Will Powers, our client from our last case?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"He just called and told me that he and Penny Nichols are having a Christmas dinner at his house at 9 o'clock! They invited us to come!" Maya clapped her hands together and put on her most pleading face. "Can we please go, Nick? Pretty please?"

"Well, I'm already pretty exhausted tonight, so I was hoping to check out early."

"Aww..." She bowed her head in disappointment.

"Hey, that doesn't mean I can stop you from going! But I can't promise you that they'll have burgers there, if that's why you want to go."

" _Nick!_ " Maya' s cheeks puffed in frustration. "My diet isn't strictly limited to burgers, you know! I love noodles, too! And steak, and weenies, and-"

"Okay, I get your point. Sorry, I was just messing with you." Phoenix scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Anyway, you should get going now if you want to make it there on your bike. They're a little ways away."

"Yay! Thanks, Nick!" Maya scurried to grab her coat, then she headed for the door.

"Have fun," Phoenix said. "Go knock yourself out-" he corrected himself. _Probably not a good piece of advice to give to Maya._ "Not literally!"

"Sure thing!" Maya called back as she flung open the door and dashed outside. As a powerful draft blew inside the office and made Phoenix shiver, he could once again hear the carolers outside, who were finishing their song.

 _"It's the most wonderful time... of the year!"_

 _If only it felt that way for me,_ the defense attorney thought.

* * *

Christmas is normally supposed to be a time for family, friends, and happiness, but this year, Phoenix just wasn't feeling it. He looked around in the now empty office. It seemed so lonely... mainly because a certain someone wasn't there to make it feel familiar to the rookie attorney. It was just a few months ago when his mentor Mia Fey was taken away from this world. Of course Phoenix avenged her death by tracking down her killer, but that wasn't enough to make him feel at ease in what used to be her own office. Despite succeeding in two cases without her at his side the whole time (he did have some help from her, but that's a long story), he knew that it was nowhere near enough experience to even consider himself at the same level as his former mentor. What if there's a case one day where he fails to prove his client's innocence, and that blame is burdened on him? Maybe it was simply because of the depressing feeling lonely people get around Christmas time, but whatever it was, a seed of doubt was certainly being planted in his mind.

"How am I ever going to make it...?" Phoenix questioned. "Maybe I was wrong in choosing this path." He sighed to himself as he hopelessly flopped down on the couch. When he did, he suddenly realized how worn out he actually felt. _I was planning on heading home to go to sleep, but... a quick nap here can't hurt, right?_ He pondered. He slipped off his shoes and removed his coat to use it as a blanket. Mere seconds after laying down and finding a comfortable position, Phoenix dozed off.

* * *

*BRRRING* *BRRRING* *BRRRING*

Phoenix jolted awake to the sound of the office telephone. He was about to spring up from the couch when the phone abruptly stopped. Must be a wrong number, he thought. He checked the time on his watch. _9:00... so I've only been sleeping for about twenty minutes._ He was about to lie back down when he heard a peculiar sound, almost like a whisper. He sat and waited, then it came again, more clear than before.

"... Phoenix..."

He realized with a lurch in his gut that someone was trying to call out to him. Was it an intruder? Phoenix stood up, walked to the center of the room, and tried to make his best defensive fighting stance. He held up his clenched fists and spread his feet apart. _This is how people do it on TV, right? Maybe now I can prove to Maya that I'm not a wimp after I take down this guy._ "Wh-who is it? Who's there?" He demanded while slightly trembling. Immediately, a strange apparition manifested out of thin air right in front of him.

"Hey, Phoenix." The voice belonged to a ghostly figure in the form of a pretty woman with long brown hair and dark eyes.

"Ack!" Phoenix yelled and stumbled back, his fighting stance now scared away. "Mia- I mean, Chief!" This wasn't the first time he saw the posthumous Mia, but it was still a shock whenever she appeared on him like that.

"I'm not Chief anymore," Mia chuckled.

"Oh, sorry, Mia," Phoenix stammered nervously. "But seriously, can you stop going *poof* on me without warning? It scares the wits out of me. Not to mention the first time you did that, I passed out in the middle of a court trial! I swear, I'm gonna get a heart attack one day!"

"Well, in that case, you can join me in the spirit world." Mia smirked. "And I did warn you that I was coming. Didn't you hear me call your name?"

"Yeah... but that's still creepy!"

"So? Do you expect me to send you a text message letting you know that I'll be arriving in ten minutes or something?"

Phoenix grumbled under his breath, acknowledging that there was no point in arguing with a lawyer who was better than him. Then he straightened himself up and continued, "Anyway, what brings you here?"

Mia rested her chin on her fist and gave her friend a look of concern. "So I've heard that you've been doubting yourself about something. Care to elaborate?"

Phoenix sighed, "I don't know, I guess the pressure is getting to me. I was thinking... maybe being an attorney wasn't really meant for me-"

"Phoenix." Mia shot him her most serious look. "I've always had faith in you when I was your mentor, and I still do see great things in you. After all, wasn't this your main goal? You can't give up now. You have so much potential."

"Are you sure? Because I'm not..." _Especially since it feels so lonely and confusing without you these days._

"Of course I'm sure!" Mia replied. Then she took a moment to think. "You know what? I'm going to show you that I'm sure. Expect three other visitors tonight."

"Huh?!" Phoenix gawked. _And why does this situation seem somewhat familiar? Wasn't it in a book or something? Eh, probably just my imagination._ "What do you mean?"

"The first one should be arriving at about 10 o'clock. I suggest that you be ready by then." Mia winked.

"Wait-"

Before he could continue, his former mentor said, "See you around, Phoenix." And with that, she was gone.

The rookie attorney was once again alone in the office, pondering what in the world just happened. And who were these three visitors Mia was talking about? _I've had enough surprises tonight,_ he thought as he sunk back down on the couch while rubbing his temples.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Alright, the first chapter is done. We'll be getting to the main stuff of the story soon! I'll be posting a new chapter every five days so I can post the final chapter on Christmas Day (hopefully... I'll try to keep up with it), so make sure to check back after those five days have passed. Don't forget to review, I love (non-aggressive) feedback! And please tell me if there's anything you'd like to suggest to help me improve, such as if I'm writing these people in character enough or how to write certain things in certain ways or whatever. See ya!**

 **P.S. I did notice that another writer, CzarThwomp, is also writing a Christmas Carol story for Ace Attorney.** **Go** **read his story, too!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is late! Leaving Disney World being the same day you're supposed to be updating makes things inconvenient. (But Disney World was worth it!) And then I was going to upload it earlier today, but my stupidity got in the way. Long story short, I accidentally deleted the entire chapter, so I had to rewrite the whole thing from memory. Yeah, it sucked. So please forgive any errors you see, as they are most likely a result of my frantic typing. I'll go back and proofread eventually.**

 **Okay, remember that this is the chapter with AA3 Case One spoilers. Also, due to a minor change in plans, Chapters 4 and 5 will contain Ace Attorney: Justice For All Case Two spoilers. Proceed if you dare...**

* * *

Chapter Two~ Carol of the Bells

Date: December 24, 2016

Time: 9:50 PM

Location: Wright & Co. Law Offices

After what Mia just told him, Phoenix didn't want to go back to sleep. If Mia's ghost friend was going to arrive soon, he wanted to be ready for anything to happen. But it was hard for him to stay awake, so he decided to do something productive and clean his toilet for the third time this month. He had recently bought a new toilet cleaner to test out, and as he scrubbed vigorously, he was pleased to see at how effective it was. He was eventually finished with his chore, and he put the cleaning supplies away in the closet.

He stood in the main room, once again wondering what to do. He looked at the office clock and saw that he still had about ten minutes until the next visitor came. He rubbed the back of his head and realized that his spikes were ruined after he fell asleep on the couch. He headed back to the bathroom to redo his hair just the way he liked it.

Phoenix may have gotten a bit too preoccupied with doing so, because a few minutes later, a small innocent voice sounded from the other room. "Um, hello?" the voice said.

He realized that it was already time, so he went out to go see who the new visitor was. There was something oddly familiar about her voice that bugged Phoenix. _Could it be...? No, of course not._ He pushed away his thought. When he entered the room, however, his suspicions were proven correct. He gaped in shock at the woman standing before him. "You're- you're..." he stuttered.

A beautiful young lady in a white lacey dress while holding a parasol to match stood there. Her stunning red hair was draped over her shoulder, which was a nice contrast to her pale skin and white outfit. A mysterious glowing aura surrounded her body. Her eyes fluttered when she saw Phoenix enter. She spoke, "Oh, you must be Phoenix. I am the Ghost of your Christmas past."

Phoenix couldn't understand why the spirit looked the way she did. He began, "But you are- you look exactly like someone I once knew..."

The spirit then realized why this man had such a dumbfounded look on his face. She smiled and explained, "Because I am not the spirit of a specific human being, I do not have the true appearance of one. So I took on the form and a bit of the personality of someone from your past, so that you may feel more comfortable around me."

The lawyer found a little relief in finally knowing why she looked like Dahlia, his ex-girlfriend. At least he now knew that his ex didn't die and her spirit came back to haunt him. But it did bother him that he still had to look at her as an image the spirit was projecting, and the spirit seemed to have taken on her fake personality.

"Is something wrong?" the ghost asked. "If who I look like bothers you, I can change my image-"

"No no, that's fine," replied Phoenix. _As much as it disturbs me thinking about Dahlia, I'm more afraid about who else from my past you would choose to turn into._

"Very well," she said. She held out her hand to Phoenix. "Shall we be off, then?"

He hesitated at first, but he presumed that she knew what she was doing. He took her hand- which unsettlingly brought back memories of his dates with Dahlia- and answered, "I guess."

At that moment, the floor seemed to vanish beneath him as everything flashed white.

* * *

Date: December 14, 2001

Time: 11:30 AM

Location: ?

Phoenix found himself laying on a concrete surface, staring up at a cloudy sky. As he sat up and rubbed his head, he looked around and saw that he was in front of an elementary school's main doors. The Dahlia look-alike stood next to him. Before he could ask where they were, he heard a tinny bell ringing that sounded from inside the school. Seconds later, the doors acted as floodgates as hordes of children stampeded through. Phoenix yelled and shielded himself from the trampling feet of the kids, but all they did was harmlessly phase through him and the spirit. After they all passed by, Phoenix whipped his head around to face the spirit and asked in confusion, "Wait, what?!"

The ghost replied, "We do not exist in this time and place. No one can see, hear, nor touch us." Then after most of the kids left, she pointed towards the doors. "Look there, Phoenix," she said.

A trio of boys were exiting the school. The boy with messy brown hair dashed outside, another boy with black spiky hair jogged to keep up with his friend, and a boy with neatly combed dark hair and bangs draped over the sides of his forehead trailed behind. Phoenix cocked his head in recognition and said, "Wait, those boys... but how...?"

"Free at last!" the first boy shouted as he waved his arms in the air, praising the unseen divine being which graciously released him from his educational prison. "I can do whatever I want now! Look out, L.A.!"

"Jeez, Larry, you don't have to be so dramatic. People are looking at us weird," remarked the spiky-haired boy, whom Phoenix realized was a younger version of himself.

"I agree with Phoenix. Keep yourself under control," added the proper-looking boy, who also finally caught up with his friends. "Besides, school isn't dreadful like you make it out to be."

"That's easy for you to say, Miles!" snapped Larry. "You get all your homework done and ace every test!"

"That is because I genuinely strive to get good grades," Miles replied, "unlike you, who resorted to copying off of my paper during the math test last Wednesday."

Larry's irritation instantly turned into shock. "H-how did you know?!"

Miles sighed. "Well, it's quite obvious when you're periodically scooting your chair closer to my desk, and I can feel your nervous breathing on my shoulder."

Larry realized how bad he was when it came to stealthiness, but at least his skills weren't as bad as the teacher's ability to supervise. "Okay, so I kinda suck at being sneaky," he admitted. "But if you knew I was cheatin', why didn't you tell on me?" He wondered why do-gooder Miles would reveal him.

"That answer is simple," replied Miles. "You are one of my only friends, so it was my duty to assist you during the final math test of the semester. Not to mention that I recall what you said happened the last time you ended the year with a failing grade."

Larry thought back to the horror of his mother's rage the last time he received an "F," then he had a sudden feeling of debt towards his friend. "Aww, thanks Edgey!" he exclaimed. He slammed into Miles and trapped him in a powerful bear hug.

The raven-haired boy, extremely uncomfortable with intense physical contact unless it was with his own father, looked at his friend Phoenix. _Help me,_ his pleading eyes said. However, Phoenix wasn't feeling very helpful at the moment, so to Miles's dismay, he too joined the group hug. Miles shot him a glare which clearly meant, _Sometimes, I really hate you._ Phoenix only smirked in reply.

"I hate to break up... whatever this is, I won't even ask, but I need to have a word with you, Larry Butz."

The three boys ended their bonding session and turned around to see their teacher. Larry stammered as sweat trickled down his face, "Y-yeah, Miss Willen?"

She crossed her arms and stared down at him. "I have reason to believe that you cheated on Wednesday's math test."

Larry sweated even more.

Then the teacher made her accusation, "You stole the answer sheet, didn't you?"

Knowing that this was not the case, Larry became confused. "Huh?" he said. "Whaddya mean?"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix's index finger shot directly towards Miss Willen. "Do you have anything to prove that?!"

" _Excuse_ me, Phoenix," she said while glowering at him, obviously offended.

Miles stepped in and explained, "I apologize for my friend's behavior. What he intended to say is that he requests to see sufficient evidence to support your claim."

"Miles, as much as I appreciate your _politeness_ ," she glanced at Phoenix, "I'm afraid we can't hold another class trial. Come with me, Larry. I'm going to call your mother."

"No, wait!" Larry begged. "Why are you pinning this on me?!"

Miss Willen sighed. "I didn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends, but if you must know why I suspect you, it's because you miraculously got every answer on the test correct."

Larry blushed. "But, but I-"

"None of that. Come along, now." She took Larry's arm and turned in the direction of the school.

During this moment, Phoenix's mind was racing at a mile a minute. Having just heard that Larry cheated not by stealing the answer sheet, but by looking at Miles's paper, he knew that he was innocent of Miss Willen's accusation. But he couldn't present that information, because it would still prove Larry guilty of cheating. Then, Phoenix remembered something that just might help out his friend.

" _Hold it!_ " Phoenix exclaimed. "I can prove that it was impossible for Larry to have stolen the answer key!"

Miss Willen faced him and warned, "If what you're about to say is pointless, then I'll have to call your mother as well because of your disrespectful outbursts."

Knowing that he only had one chance at this, Phoenix took a moment to think carefully. Then he said, "If I remember correctly, you came into the classroom about five minutes after class started, right?"

The teacher nodded. "Correct."

"Well, we were at lunch before math class, and during lunchtime, something happened. Larry got into a fight."

Miss Willen gasped and looked at Larry. "Is this true?" she inquired.

Larry cocked his head in deep thought. "Yeah. Miles was talking about why he never gets school lunch because of possible health violationism or something like that. Then some other kid called him a nerdy weirdo. Only me and Phoenix are allowed to call Miles a nerd, so I punched the name-calling bully. Then we got on the ground and fought until a teacher broke us up. Then I went to the nurse, 'cause I kinda got beat up. Miles was a little upset that I was crazy enough to fight the bully, but I think it was worth it."

The teacher glanced between the three boys, then she spoke, "Well, as probable as this story sounds- knowing how Larry can act up- I can't take your word for it. I would need the consent of an adult who was involved in the situation. But now that school has closed for the winter, it seems that everyone else has gone home."

Then Larry remembered something. "Oh, wait!" He exclaimed. He shoved his hand into his pocket and dug out a crumpled up piece of paper. He flapped it and gave it to the teacher. "The nurse told me to give you this note 'cause I was late for class. But I kinda sorta forgot to give it to you. I mean, you never asked why I was late. You didn't even look up from your desk, so... heh..."

 _Take that,_ Phoenix thought confidently.

Miss Willen inspected the note. "Hmm... I suppose the time written on here _is_ five minutes after class starts. Very well, it seems that you weren't the one who stole my answer key, Larry." She released his arm and continued, "I apologize for accusing you and putting you through that trouble. I hope you boys have a wonderful Christmas break." Then she walked back towards the school doors, probably to check her desk and see if she had just simply misplaced her answer key.

When she was gone, Larry immediately pulled Phoenix into a headlock and ruffled his spiky hair. "Nick, you're awesome!" He shouted gleefully.

"Yep, I already knew that. Heh heh," Phoenix replied while struggling to escape his friend's embrace.

Miles took this opportunity to attempt to slink away, but Larry noticed. He released Phoenix and turned around and said, "Hey Edgey, don't think you can get away! Come back here!"

Miles quickly came up with an excuse by glancing behind him and saying, "Um, I believe my father is here to pick me up now. I have to go." Then he remembered something and added, "Oh, my father said that you guys can come visit me at my house on the 28th. That's when the big trial that he's working in will be over, some time in the afternoon."

"Okey-dokey!" Larry confirmed, sticking up his thumb in the air.

"Got it!" replied Phoenix. "And Merry Christmas!"

Then, Miles did something rare: he actually smiled. Of course it wasn't a full-blown grin, but it was a start for sure. He returned the phrase, "Merry Christmas." Then he turned and headed to the usual place he waited to get picked up. Phoenix and Larry walked off in another direction, chatting amongst themselves.

The older Phoenix watched his younger self and friends part ways. Then the Dahlia ghost spoke, "You were a great defense attorney, even as a child." She giggled just a little.

He rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, but those were the days when it was easy. Especially since the person I was defending was my friend."

"Speaking of friends," the spirit continued, "that was the last time you and Larry ever saw or talked to Miles, wasn't it? That is, until recently this year."

Phoenix nodded. "Back then, we went to his house on the 28th, when he said we could come, but no one was home. We kept coming back for next few days, but he was never there. We never really knew what happened to him."

Tears began to form in the ghost's eyes. "If only you knew..." she mumbled to herself.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Phoenix questioned.

"Oh, er, no," she quickly answered. Then she declared, "Come on, we still have another place to go to." In one swift move, she levitated behind Phoenix, grabbed the collar of his jacket, and swooped him up into the air.

"AAAGGGHHH!" Phoenix screamed as he watched his childhood school sink beneath him. Harsh winds whipped across his face. "What are you _doing_?!"

"Don't worry," the spirit reassured. "We will be there soon."

Phoenix tried his best to calm down his frantic breathing and rapid heartbeat. They had left his school and were heading towards the city. But to his amazement, he was observing with his very own eyes the town develop from when he was a child to what seemed like the modern day. It was like watching a time lapse, but over the course of years. "Woah," he mused. Then he began to recognize his surroundings more, and he realized that they were flying straight for his office. The ghost didn't show any signs of slowing down, so he braced himself for impact with a hard wall. But the wall never came. Instead, he found himself standing on the floor of the office's reception room. _Is this crazy adventure finally over?_ He thought. Then, he heard a familiar voice outside. The voice neared the door, and the person whom the voice belonged to let herself in.

* * *

Date: December 24, 2015

Time: 8:00 PM

Location: Fey & Co. Law Offices

Mia Fey entered the room, and she was talking on her phone. She took no notice of Phoenix, so he realized that he was still in the past. He also partially figured this out because the Dahlia ghost was standing beside him. Mia seemed to be ending her phone call: "Yes, Maya, I'm catching the train tonight so I'll be there for Christmas Day. ...No, don't wait outside for me. I'll be coming in late, and you'll freeze out there. ...Fine. I'll see you then." She hung up the phone and put it in her pocket just as a slightly younger Phoenix holding a stack of papers in his arms came in from the other room.

"Hey, Chief," he greeted.

Mia looked at the papers he was holding and inquired, "Have you been working the whole time I was gone?"

"Well, yeah," Phoenix answered, chuckling a bit. "I wanted to get as much work done as possible before tomorrow."

"Wow," said Mia as Phoenix placed the last of the paperwork in their proper locations. "All you need now is to pass the bar exam and get some experience in the courtroom, and you'll be a great lawyer."

"Hopefully," remarked Phoenix.

Mia walked over to the window and peered out. There was a group of people singing Christmas songs. "Hey, Phoenix, come look," said Mia. As he promptly came to her side, they watched a man holding his daughter's hand as they walked down the sidewalk. The girl skipped along happily, then they both stopped in front of the carolers. A joyful grin was on the girl's face as she listened to the beautiful melody of the song. Mia commented, "It warms my heart to see people so happy at this time of year. You have no worries, and you get to spend time with your loved ones. This is one of the reasons why I chose to become a defense attorney. I want to protect those who are innocent so they can enjoy being with their family and friends, especially during this season. Christmas is such a beautiful holiday, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Phoenix agreed. _But I would hate to be the reason why an innocent person is thrown into prison, just because I couldn't help them._

Mia looked at her student. "Phoenix, I know you can make me proud. Promise me that you'll keep this moment in mind when you're behind the defense's bench, and that you'll fight for your clients."

"Of course," assured Phoenix. "I'll do whatever I can."

Mia looked down at her watch and said, "Oh, I have to go to the station before I miss the train. It's the last one going out tonight." She headed into the other room and returned with an overnight duffel bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm going to close the office for the night. You've worked hard enough today, now go home." Phoenix followed her out the door, then she turned around and locked the office.

"Are you going anywhere special tonight?" Mia asked.

"I'm just going to my mom's house and maybe spend the night," Phoenix answered.

"Good," Mia said. "I'll meet you back at the office on the 26th. Spend quality time with your mom tonight. No working on Christmas, got it?"

"Yep," Phoenix laughed nervously.

Mia began to walk away and said, "Bye, Phoenix."

"See you, Chief," he replied.

She looked back one more time and added, "Merry Christmas."

Alongside the spirit, the present Phoenix watched with a sad feeling as the past Mia strode away. "I actually promised her that...?" He trailed off. Then he sighed in frustration as he held his head in his hands. "I can't make a promise that I can't keep! Ugh, Dahlia- I mean, spirit- I don't care who you are, just stop this already!"

The ghost frowned at his anguish, then she spoke, "Follow me."

They passed through the wall back into the office, but something was different about it from just a few minutes ago. Phoenix noticed with relief that it looked exactly the way he left it before the spirits came. "So my life can go back to normal now?" he asked the spirit.

She looked at him in confusion. "Did Mia's spirit not tell you that there will be two other spirits after me?"

"Oh. Right." _Darn, I forgot she said that._ He looked at the clock on the wall. The short hand pointed at the eleven, and the long hand stuck straight up. He turned around to ask the spirit, "Who's going to come now- huh?" But when he did, she was gone. He looked around the reception room to try and find out where she went, but then he heard something in the other room. It sounded like a deep laughing as something hard was constantly being slammed against a desk. Figuring that this unknown person must be the next visitor, Phoenix headed into the other room to greet him.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Were you surprised about who the Ghost of Christmas past was? See if you can guess who the next spirit will be! (And did you figure out why this chapter has its title?)**

 **We don't know the name of Phoenix's teacher when he was in fourth grade. All we know is that she was kind of stupid and cruel for letting the rest of the kids verbally beat him down in his class trial without sufficient evidence to have the wright to do so (I had to, people). Sure, you could say that she was simply ignorant of the procedures of a court trial, but nevertheless, I named her after a teacher I had back in my day whom I hated. Just my way of getting revenge on both the real and fictional teachers. Mwahahahaha...**

 **If you liked the story or you have something to say that's not considered flaming, please leave a review! I'll try my best to update on Friday! (But I can't promise that, because exams are this week.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Good news and bad news. Good news first: I'm halfway through exams, and I've been doing well on them so far. Bad news: the update is late again. But when exams are over on Tuesday, hopefully I can pick up the slack in time for Christmas. I hope you enjoying this chapter will make up for it!**

* * *

Chapter Three~ O Holy Night

Date: December 24, 2016

Time: 11:00 PM

Location: Wright & Co. Law Offices

 _Whoever is in the next room seems to be enjoying himself,_ Phoenix thought. When he entered the room, there stood quite an interesting sight. A white-bearded old man wrapped in black robes was laughing out loud to himself. With one hand he clutched his gut, and with the other hand he held a wooden gavel and pounded it on the table next to him. The man this spirit was depicting was none other than the one Phoenix always met in court: the Judge.

The lawyer stood there awkwardly, as the spirit whose sides were practically splitting didn't seem to notice that he was there. Phoenix cleared his throat and said, "So... I assume you already know who I am?"

The ghost finally gazed upon him and attempted to tune down his chortles to a giggle as he responded, "Of course I know who you are!" He stood up straight and continued in a more serious tone, "I declare Phoenix Wright... guilty!" He slammed his gavel on the table once more and immediately broke down in another bout of laughter.

"G-guilty?!" Phoenix was startled and grew worried about what he could have possibly done wrong. "What am I guilty for?"

The Judge ghost bellowed, "Guilty- of not having the Christmas spirit!" He proceeded chuckling to himself as he repeatedly banged on the table.

 _It's not that I don't have any appreciation for Christmas... but does it really seem that way to others?_ He shook his head and inquired about something that's been nagging at him, "Sorry I have to ask, but if you're a ghost, how are you able to strike my table with your gavel?"

The spirit never pondered this before, and now that this fact came to mind, he stopped laughing and stared intently at his beloved gavel. After a moment of deep thought, he suddenly admitted, "I don't know." More laughter followed this as tears streamed down his face from sheer joy.

 _Sheesh, I didn't think that the Judge could be this loony._ Phoenix considered attempting to calm down the ghost himself, but the spirit was already settling down and wiping his tears away. He introduced himself to Phoenix by announcing, "I am the Ghost of your Christmas present."

"And I suspect that you manifested yourself in the form of someone I know in my present?"

"Correct. Now, are you ready to head off?"

Phoenix was about to confirm this, but he realized something. "Wait, I exist in this time and place. Doesn't that mean I'll be noticed by people, and I can't pass through things?"

"Not if I have anything to do with it. With me, you'll still have your ghost-like abilities," the spirit replied. "Come now, we must journey to our first destination." He turned away from Phoenix and hunched over.

Phoenix looked at him in confusion and asked, "How do you expect me to travel with you?"

The ghost turned his head and chuckled, "Isn't it obvious? Jump on my back! Don't worry, I can handle it!"

 _Is this guy insane?_ Phoenix thought. _Well, there doesn't seem to be a better option._ "Um... Okay," he agreed as he gingerly climbed onto the spirit's back.

"Hold on tight, Mr. Wright," the ghost said as he winked at his passenger. And with that, he zipped out of the office and flew past the city streets.

As the wind whirled around them, Phoenix clung tightly to the spirit's black robe and questioned, "Don't you think we're going a little too fast?"

The Judge spirit pondered this and replied, "You make a good point. Let's slow down to enjoy the festive scenery, no?" He slowed to a glide as they hovered above the streets and floated beside buildings, decorated with wreaths, colorful lights, and bells. Everyone who walked by looked so happy to be alive, as the next day was the holiday they were waiting for all year. It didn't matter if their hands were in their pockets or if their hands were being used to carry numerous bags and presents- everyone had joy evidently glowing on their face. Seeing this made Phoenix crack a smile, but it soon faded. He realized how he wasn't acting like them at all in his melancholy state, and as a result, he always shunned Maya's and anyone else's attempts to get him into the Christmas spirit.

The ghost seemed to read his mind as he said, "Feeling guilty now, are we? It appears that I have handed down the correct verdict from when we first met tonight." Phoenix only looked away at this comment. The spirit continued, "Well, let's see if we can fix that. We have somewhere special to be attending."

He picked up his speed and dashed forward, away from the city and into a quiet neighborhood. He soon lowered himself and Phoenix in front of a small house adorned with lights on the eaves of the roof. There was a mild commotion coming from inside. Phoenix slid off the spirit's back and faced the house. "Do we go inside?" the attorney asked.

"After you," the Judge spirit replied as he pointed toward the door with his gavel. Phoenix headed towards the house as the spirit followed him. They phased through the door, and in the living room sat three people whom Phoenix recognized.

"Oh... we're at Mr. Powers' house," deduced Phoenix. Maya had mentioned this event earlier, and Phoenix had declined the offer to come. But here he was standing despite no one acknowledging his presence. Will and Maya were sitting on the couch in deep conversation as Penny Nichols sat in an armchair, sipping hot cocoa and watching the other two talk.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Powers!" Maya begged. "Pleeease just tell me who wins in the Steel Samurai season finale!"

The TV star laughed and answered, "For the tenth time, I can't reveal that to you. I have a contract."

"Aww!" Maya whined as she overdramatically flung herself on top of the arm of the couch and let her arms dangle over the edge. This only earned herself more chuckles from Will and Penny.

After a moment, Penny suggested as she finished off her cocoa, "Hey, why don't we play charades?"

Maya piped up, "Ooh, I love that game! I'll go first." She leaped up from the couch and dashed to a table in the middle of the room. Then, she slammed both of her hands down on the table's surface.

"Uh... the Hulk?" Will guessed. Maya smirked at him and shook her head. Next, she thrust out her arm and pointed outwards with her finger. As Phoenix observed her, he realized what, or rather who, she was acting like.

Penny was growing desperate. "Er... forget acting it out. Tell us about what you're trying to be!"

"Okay," Maya agreed, taking a few seconds to collect her thoughts. "... He's a man."

"Oh, really?" Penny purred.

"Wait, it's not like that!" Maya protested. But she couldn't hold back the occasional giggle as she continued, "He can be loud, especially when he's doing his job."

"Hey!" Phoenix said. But of course, no one heard him.

"Hmm... another hint," requested Penny.

Maya grinned as she revealed, "His favorite word is probably 'OBJECTION!'"

Something in Will's mind clicked as he shouted, "You're Phoenix Wright!"

"Yep!" Maya confirmed as she clapped her hands together in satisfaction.

Penny inquired, "Speaking of Mr. Wright, why exactly couldn't he come tonight?"

"Oh, I don't know," Maya sighed. "He said he was tired, but I think there's more to it than that. He's been acting strange for the past week, not wanting to have much fun or laugh at my jokes or anything. And then he spaces out sometimes, too."

"Huh. Weird."

"Yeah... maybe he's turning into a Scrooge," Maya joked.

"Aw, that was mean," Penny remarked as she held a hand over her mouth to stifle her chortles.

Phoenix felt that he heard the name "Scrooge" somewhere before, but he couldn't remember for the life of him where. Nevertheless, he seemed to know that he should feel offended.

Just then, a beeping sounded from the kitchen. Will stood up and said, "Ah, the food is ready." A minute after he left, he returned with a small cooked turkey on a plate. Three smaller plates and utensils were passed out after he set the meal down on the table. Phoenix watched with a feeling of hunger as the food was distributed, and the three began feasting. Then Will said, "Oh, I forgot the drinks!" Again he left to the kitchen and returned balancing three cups filled with sparkling grape juice, which he set down on the table.

"Ooh, this drink is one of my favorites!" Maya exclaimed with giddiness.

"Mine, too," Penny added.

Before Maya was about to take a swig of the juice, Will pondered aloud, "You know, if it weren't for Mr. Wright, I wouldn't be sitting here." Both the girls agreed as he continued, "I suppose I can thank him not just for defending me, but for letting me be free to have this meal, as well." He had a sheepish grin on his face from revealing his profound sentimentality. Then, he raised his glass and announced, "To Mr. Wright, and to the hopes that he too has a Merry Christmas."

"To Mr. Wright," Penny repeated.

"To Nick," Maya said. The three of them clinked their glasses together and drank.

Phoenix was truly touched by this scene, as he realized how grateful his client really was. He almost felt like he received too much credit. Then the Judge ghost spoke, "Such a wonderful gathering, no?" The attorney remained silent as the ghost continued with a darker tone, "However, there is a terrible event lurking in the future of that young girl. She must be helped when the time comes."

The lawyer looked in the direction of where the spirit was looking. He began to sweat as he thought, _Surely you don't mean Maya...?_

But the spirit pulled him away from the thought as he said, "We must go to our next location. Come along!" He along with Phoenix exited the house and stood on the sidewalk. As the spirit bent over with an expectant look on his face, Phoenix reluctantly got onto his back. They rose from the ground and coasted off in another direction.

* * *

Date: December 24, 2016

Time: 11:45 PM

Location: Gourd Lake

After a while, the spirit and Phoenix reached a forested area, and beyond the trees was a lake enshrouded in thick fog. The area was cold and somewhat damp. Eventually, a clear path which was available for landing on revealed itself. As the spirit lowered to the ground, Phoenix asked, "Where are we?"

The ghost replied, "This is an important place for reasons I may not reveal. What I can show you is that not even the seemingly darkest places can be devoid of the holiday festivity." As he said this, a man in the distance was approaching them. He was dressed in a Santa suit and was supposedly listening to a radio, since he had his headphones on. He seemed to be enjoying himself as he was humming to a tune.

"Is that... Larry?" Phoenix wondered out loud.

"Indeed it is," the spirit confirmed. "He's quite the, er, zealous man, wouldn't you say?"

Phoenix chuckled and replied, "Sure, you could say that."

As Larry came closer, he stopped humming, so Phoenix assumed that the song he was listening to must have ended. The attorney remarked, "You know, I wonder what he's doing here-"

*BANG*

This sentence was interrupted by a loud, sharp noise that came from not too far away. Larry must have also heard it through his headphones, because he looked behind him and began to sweat. Then he sped up his pace and stalked off.

"W-what was that?!" Phoenix inquired. "That kind of sounded like a gunshot!" He turned to the spirit, but he was faced with a surprise when the spirit appeared older and more weary.

"I feel a grave story that will follow that terrible sound," the ghost somberly revealed as he fiddled with the gavel, raising and lowering the mallet in the palm of his hand. Then, he grabbed the fabric of his robe and lifted it just enough for Phoenix to hear strange noises coming from underneath. They sounded like voices, desperate voices moaning in agony. "Beneath the court of law lies many unjust verdicts," the spirit explained. "Sentences brought down on numerous innocent people, their lives ruined because of the mazes of lies criminals set in this dark world. Dark mazes like this forest we stand in. It is up to someone who can save these people to guide them to safety."

Phoenix only listened in horror. He had never truly grasped what the dark side of law looked like to those who weren't brought justice. He could only imagine the pure despair.

"My time grows short. I'm afraid I must leave now," the Judge spirit spoke. His face had grown wrinklier than ever, and his posture was frail. He continued, "You shall soon be in the hands of your Ghost of Christmas yet to come." When he said this, his figure glowed and fragmented into thousands of sparkling flecks. A gentle breeze dislodged the flecks from each other as the spirit soon disintegrated into nothing.

After Phoenix was done staring, he gazed into the woods, wondering where this next ghost would appear. Then, he felt a chill coming from behind him. He turned around and laid eyes upon a hazy figure. It was cloaked in gray rags and wore a hood that obscured its face. There was a sense of apprehension emanating from it that made the hairs on the back of Phoenix's neck stand on end. "I... I guess you're the last ghost?" He tentatively asked.

The figure slowly nodded in silence as its only response. Phoenix gulped. _Well... here we go._

* * *

 **Author's Note: In case you were wondering, sparkling grape juice is like a fizzy grape juice, and my family has it during the holidays. It tastes amazing, and it's non-alcoholic, so I thought I would add it into the story.**

 **Did you like who I casted for the Ghost of Christmas Present? I thought that the Judge should rightfully get his time to shine. Plus, that meant I could have fun with writing his character like the one in the actual Christmas Carol novel. Let's see if you can make a good guess as to who the final ghost will be...**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter or you have something to say, please don't forget to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Okay, this is the climax I've been so excited to get to writing! I may have been so engrossed in doing so, I got it posted late. Oh, and I finally completed my exams, which went great, better than I expected. Anyway, I hope this chapter meets your expectations!**

 **Don't forget that this chapter contains AA2 Case Two spoilers.**

* * *

Chapter Four~ White Christmas

Date: December 25, 2016

Time: 12:00 AM

Location: Gourd Lake

The shadowy specter gazed down at Phoenix for another silent moment. The attorney, despite not being able to see the spirit's face, felt that it was doing this. It creeped him out. Then, the spirit slowly turned around and trudged off. Phoenix followed him and asked, "Where are we going now? Somewhere in the future?"

The ghost only turned his head to the side to look at Phoenix, then he faced forward again. Phoenix assumed that this was its way of saying "yes." He soon realized that as they were walking deeper into the woods, the fog from the lake seemed to be wafting in their direction. Within seconds, the fog grew thicker and wider, obscuring Phoenix's view of anything more than three feet in front of him. Soon, he was unable to identify anything, not even the spirit. Fear began growing inside of him, but this feeling dissipated along with the clearing of the white mist.

He found himself in a totally different location than the forest and the lake. The lawyer was staring up at a courthouse, the same one he always appeared in for his previous cases. Although he was standing outside, he seemed to hear a judge's voice as clear as day.

"Guilty," the judge announced, followed by the single strike of his gavel.

Then, there was a new voice, one belonging to a girl. She gasped and exclaimed, "No!" In an instant, this girl burst through the courthouse's front doors and dashed down the courthouse's stairs. The teenager was wearing a white lab coat and had her long brown hair in a ponytail that swung and bounced as she ran. When she reached the bottom step, she fell to her knees and held her face in her hands as she began to sob uncontrollably. It almost sounded like she was trying to say something in between her sobs, choking out something like, "Lana." There were a few people who walked by, but none of them stopped to try and console her. All they did was give her a strange look and pass on.

Phoenix only stared in confusion. Who was this girl? And why did she seem so upset? She obviously wasn't the one who received the guilty verdict, otherwise she wouldn't be able to run away. But he assumed that whoever got the verdict must have been important to her. It pained Phoenix to see the adolescent in such a heartbroken state.

Then he realized that the spirit was standing off to the side. He approached it and inquired, "Why are you showing me this?"

Either it was his imagination, or the ghost seemed to grumble or sigh. But this was all he heard from it as the same fog from before surrounded them again and erased the depressing scene before them. Only a moment later, it cleared and revealed yet another vision, a location with which Phoenix was totally unfamiliar.

* * *

Date: January 1, 2021

Time: 12:00 PM

Location: Kurain Village

Phoenix found himself in a room made of wooden panels, which had midday sunlight filtering in from screen doors. It looked as if he was in a child's room, because there was a small bed on the floor and an open bin filled with clothes along with a blue ball nestled inside. Phoenix had no idea where this was supposed to be, but before he could ask the ominous spirit anything, the screen door slid open and let inside two people, an older woman wearing a black robe and a young girl. The girl was wearing an outfit similar to Maya's spirit medium clothes, so Phoenix wondered if maybe Maya had a connection to this place and these people.

The woman spoke first to the girl, "I am so delighted that this day has finally arrived! The day that my precious Mystic Pearl becomes the Master of Kurain Village!"

Phoenix recalled that location's name, which he soon realized was the village Maya came from. _So she probably does know these people._

The woman continued, "Aren't you excited? This is such an honor for you to succeed in this position."

The girl, whose name was Pearl, responded with a little smile, "Of course, Mother."

"Can you believe that you are the youngest spirit medium ever to take on the prestigious position of the Master? I am ever so proud of you! The well-being and prosperity of this village to rest upon your shoulders in just a mere hour, all of the young spirit mediums you get to train throughout your life, the connections your future position has to so many people in the government- of course, I must assist you in those sorts of situations, but oh, just think of it..."

As her mother rambled on, Pearl began to grow more uneasy with this whole Master thing. Sure, it was what her mom always wanted her to strive for, but it seemed kind of scary, this powerful position now in her tiny hands. Maybe no one as young as her ever became the Master for a reason, a good one.

She tuned back in to her mother, "And as I guide you through your new responsibilities, no one shall stand in your way! You are the sole leader, alone in your own greatness. No one will be as important as you."

This last part bothered Pearl. She thought back to the old days she spent with her older cousin Maya, and how she was just as important. Pearl hated feeling lonely, but Maya was always there to cheer her up. Maya loved talking to her about how important family was. Now when the young soon-to-be-Master pondered her mother's previous words, she thought it sounded arrogant and greedy to say such a thing like being the only significant person.

Pearl decided to input her own thought and began, "But Mystic Maya said-"

"Mystic Maya has nothing to do with this, Mystic Pearl," her mother interrupted. She glowered at her daughter, a glare that almost pierced the poor girl's soul. She continued, "She is gone now. She was a disgrace to the Fey family name, just like her mother and sister before her. That branch of the family was nothing but a waste. You need not worry about Maya nor her utterly nonsensical sayings anymore."

As Phoenix heard the woman say this, he grew worried. _What happened to Maya?_

Pearl looked as if she was going to try one more time to say something, but her mother again cut her off, "Now don't let those silly thoughts ruin your day. The ceremony will be held at one o'clock, so I expect you to be ready ten minutes before. I shall return when that time comes so I can help you with the final preparations." She headed for the door and slid it open to let herself out. As she left, she could be heard saying, "Ah, my little girl is finally in her rightful place!"

Pearl stared blankly at the door for a moment, then she shook her head and turned towards her bin. She shuffled through its contents and soon found some special accessories to wear for the occasion. After she put them on, she examined herself in a mirror on a small vanity dresser she had. She was pleased to see that everything looked ready for the ceremony, but her joy faded away. Pearl couldn't help but worry about what being the Master will be like. It felt so pressuring just thinking about everything people would expect her to do. She would be the one responsible for carrying on the next generation of the village. She was going to be public face of the village for who knows how long, and she would have to meet all of these scary adults in the government. And through all of this, she knew she would feel so alone. No Mystic Maya, no mother at some point when she grows old, no more family or friends...

She didn't realize until now that tears were streaming down her face. She gasped and frantically tried to scrub them away, because her mother had just put makeup on her earlier. It was actually her first time wearing the stuff, so she wanted to show her mother that she could be careful and not mess it up. Despite her efforts, wiping the tears only made the situation worse, as the makeup started to smudge. She cried even more as she thought, _If I can't be responsible enough to keep makeup on for just a day, how can I be a responsible Master?_

In her distress, she yanked off her accessories and threw them to the floor. Her hand grasped the necklace holding her magatama, then that too was ripped off and tossed away. The four white orbs on the necklace came loose and clattered to the floor. This sound finally snapped Pearl out of her violent state, and she gazed down in shock at what she had just done. She picked up the orbs and gingerly slid them back on to the necklace, then her eyes fell upon her magatama. When it impacted with the floor, it caused a huge crack to split right through the middle of the charm. _First Mystic Ami's jar, and now this,_ she thought as she sniffled. _Mother will be so upset with me._ Seeing no point in even trying to be a good girl anymore, she hugged her knees to her chest and cried to herself.

This scene was just as emotional as the previous one Phoenix had watched. Surely it had some sort of connection to Maya, and she had a connection to him. So the things the ghost was showing to him must have some significance in his life in the future. He looked to the ghost, which waved its hand in front of itself, and Kurain Village vanished in white mist. In its place formed a new world: a cold, stark, gray one, filled with dozens of people behind metal bars.

* * *

Date: December 28th, 2021

Time: 5:00 PM

Location: ?

The attorney saw that he and the spirit were standing in the middle of a hallway of a prison. At the beginning of the hall, an important-looking security guard approached another guard. He said to his subordinate, "Hey, I need you to fetch one of the prisoners. Bring the guy who's in Cell Fifteen."

The other guard nodded and replied, "Sure thing. Ah, it's his execution day today, isn't it?"

"Yep. He already knows. Bring him on over to the execution floor."

The guard turned and strode down the hall past other prisoners. Momentarily, he reached the fifteenth cell, where a man was sprawled on the floor. The prison guard slammed the iron bars and said loudly, "Hey, wake up. We gotta go." The prisoner didn't respond, so he pounded on the bars harder and boomed, "Get up! There's nothing you can do about today."

Even though this turned heads of other convicts towards the scene, the ill-fated prisoner still didn't stir. The guard, who became fed up with this nonsense, eventually let himself inside the cell. He nudged the prisoner with his foot and tried again to wake him. When this produced no better results, he bent down and turned the prisoner over onto his back.

Then, the guard's face turned ashen white. "Oh my God, he's... he's dead!" He exclaimed.

Phoenix couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "Who's dead?" he asked the spirit. He jogged to the cell and entered it, but as soon as he did so, the scene instantly morphed into a different one. Phoenix found himself standing in a rainy graveyard, where an obscured gravestone sat in front of him. He turned towards the ghost and asked, "Is this who died in that prison?"

The spirit lowered and raised its head once in confirmation. Phoenix slowly advanced towards the stone, its inscription becoming more clear the closer he got. Then he stopped, fearing what he will read. After a moment, he shook his head and thought, _There's no turning back now._ He took a few more steps and knelt down to read the stone. "... Miles Edgeworth-" he stopped himself and whipped around to face the spirit. "How did he die?! No- how did he even wind up in _prison_?!"

The ghost didn't respond to this. Instead, it slowly stalked off towards another grave, one with two people standing in front of it. Phoenix followed him and listened to the conversation they were having.

The first one began, "You know, I heard that this guy seemed promising in his career. That is, until he died, of course."

"Huh, really?" The other replied.

"Yeah. They said that he might have been even better than this prodigy guy whose name was Edgeson or something. I think he died, too. But anyway, when Christmas time came around, depression hit this guy, and he quit his job. He became overridden with guilt, so he took his own life."

"Wow... What did you say his occupation was?"

"A lawyer."

As they turned to leave the cemetery, Phoenix felt an awful lurching in his gut. That conversation made him think of something he didn't want to think about. He almost knew who they were talking about, but he refused to believe it. He looked into where he believed the ghost's face was, and it only stared back. Then, a pale, bony hand emerged from its sleeve and pointed towards the grave. Phoenix begged, "No, please, don't make me-"

A growl seemed to emerge from underneath the spirit's rags. Phoenix didn't feel like protesting against whatever entity was hidden behind the sound, so he crept towards the grave and began to scrape off the dirt that had accumulated on the stone letters over time. When he finished, he read the name aloud: "Ph- Phoenix Wright..." He sighed and began to tremble.

Then, the spirit seemed to murmur. Phoenix listened as it finally spoke in a low grumble, "... Such a shame. He could have saved all those people... but he was nothing but another worthless defense attorney doomed to be crushed." A tiny chuckle began to emit from the ghost. It grew louder and stronger until it became a maniacal cackle. The spirit's head thrashed about so much, its hood fell off to reveal an old man's face, a horrible face with slicked back white hair and piercing grey eyes. Phoenix stared in horror, keeping in mind that he would be encountering this man in his future.

The ground began to dislodge beneath the attorney's feet. He looked down and watched the dirt crumble away to reveal a fiery inferno where his future self's buried coffin should have been. He scrambled to escape the pit, but the earth gave way too soon. He was left dangling over the edge of the hole as flames flickered tauntingly at him. The knuckles of his hands that kept him from falling turned bone-white. The terrifying ghost, who now revealed himself to be wearing a blue suit with a cravat and fancy gold embroidery on the front, stared down at him with a satisfied grin on his face. Phoenix pleaded to him, "Please, help me! I'll do anything, just please don't let everything end this way!"

The spirit snickered and snarled, "You've brought this upon yourself." He lifted his foot and brought it down on Phoenix's fingers. He yelled in pain and let go of the edge, which sent him plummeting down into the blazing hell below. Then he screamed once more as the bright orange flames consumed him entirely.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Welp, we've finally reached the climax. Did you like Manfred von Karma's casting? (Was it obvious that it was him?) It is my mission to post the final chapter of this story on Christmas Day, so see you then!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Final chapter, we've made it at last! (And actually on time, too!) Just a reminder that AA2 Case Two spoilers are also here.**

* * *

Chapter Five~ Home for the Holidays

Date: December 25, 2016

Time: 9:00 AM

Location: Wright & Co. Law Offices

*THUMP* "Owww..."

Phoenix felt his crumpled form resting on a rough carpet. He groaned and lifted himself to a sitting position. Then, it dawned on him that he was alive. He laughed and rejoiced, "I'm alive! I didn't die! I actually survived-" _Wait. What exactly was it that I survived?_ He knew that he had some crazy dream about ghosts of people he knew visiting him and showing him all of these visions, but he couldn't quite recall what happened at the end. Oh, well. It was just a dream, anyway.

The attorney stood up and decided to start the day. Or, he was about to, if it wasn't for a knocking at the door. Phoenix walked over to open it, and there stood Maya.

"Morning, Nick!" she said.

Immediately, Phoenix for some reason felt so grateful to see her alive, too. "Maya!" he gasped, and he threw himself on his assistant and hugged her.

"Um, Nick... What are you doing?" Maya questioned with an uncomfortable look on her face.

Phoenix realized what was making her uneasy, so he awkwardly let go of her. He scratched his neck and replied, "Er, sorry... I honestly have no idea why I just did that. It's almost like I thought you were gone forever..."

Maya smirked and teased, "Are you getting too clingy to me? It's not my fault that you can't survive the big, scary world without me to guide you. Besides, I was only gone for the Christmas party. And it got late, so they let me sleep there."

"Oh, yeah... that's right, you did go." Phoenix wondered why he forgot about that simple fact. He shook his head and continued, "Whatever. Come in, Maya." She entered the office, and in about an hour, they were both hanging out in the reception room, enjoying a work-free day. Maya was talking about her spiritual powers diminishing, and how she needed to stand under a cold waterfall to connect with nature, or something along those lines. Phoenix suggested that she try the shower, but she complained that the water pressure was too low. Then he sarcastically proposed that she get the firefighters to spray a hose at her. Maya eagerly left to make the phone call to the fire department, Phoenix's joke apparently flying straight over her head.

He was watching on TV some boring news announcement about a mythical creature in Gourd Lake, dubbed "Gourdy." _Is their job really that hard over at the news station?_ he wondered. He snapped out of his boredom when the TV suddenly blared out a breaking news headline, reporting another occurrence at the same lake: a murder. Phoenix watched closely, intrigued by this new story, then the sucker punch of the report came. The one arrested for suspection of the murder: Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth.

"What?! There's no way he would-" In this moment of shock, it suddenly hit Phoenix- the elaborate dream he had last night was shown to him for a reason, and this breaking news was one of them. He couldn't remember all of the details, but he was determined to bring light to this situation. He became a defense attorney to help others and even repay some past debts to friends, so he would prove his skills to whoever he had to face. Whatever happened in that dream, he knew that it taught him to defend.

* * *

 _Two years later..._

Date: December 25, 2018

Time: 9:00 AM

Location: Wright & Co. Law Offices

"Merry Christmas, Nick!"

"Yeah! Merry Cris-mus, Mister Nick!"

Both the Feys, Maya and Pearl respectively, had shaken Phoenix awake that Christmas morning. They were apparently so excited to give him his Christmas present, they couldn't wait for him to wake up on his own schedule. He really wanted to sleep in, but he knew better than to protest against these two enthusiastic girls. They practically dragged him to the table in the law office's back room, where Phoenix saw that one of them had decorated Charley the plant like a Christmas tree. It looked droopy from the weight of the lights and ornaments, which reminded him of the flimsy pine tree from Charlie Brown's Christmas special.

And now at this moment, they were shoving a haphazardly wrapped Christmas present towards him. He took the gift and carefully began to tear it open, silently fearing what might lie underneath. He stopped and said, "You know, you really didn't have to do this. I didn't get you girls anything-"

"Argh, just open it already!" Maya shouted impatiently.

Phoenix sighed and finished unwrapping the present. He found himself holding a blue woolen scarf. It was a bit longer than the average scarf a person would normally wear, but it felt incredibly soft and warm. It was obvious that it was knitted out of love and care.

Pearl chewed on her thumbnail nervously and asked, "Do you like it? Mystic Maya and I worked all week on it."

Phoenix let a smile spread across his face as he replied, "Of course I like it. I love it! Not to mention you chose my favorite color."

The young spirit medium giggled in delight as Maya added, "I recalled how you always complain about it being cold during this time of year. I thought that a scarf might keep you satisfied."

"Hey!" Phoenix exclaimed, but he couldn't hold in his laughter from his assistant's tease.

Then Pearl gasped and said, "I just remembered, you had mail come in for you this morning, Mister Nick!" She dashed out of the room and returned with a package and a letter in her hands. She plopped them onto the table and looked at him expectantly. Phoenix decided to open the package first, which contained a small jar filled with white powder, a tiny duster, and another letter. He opened the letter and read to himself:

 _Dear Mr. Wright,_

 _Hello! Sorry I wasn't able to drop by your office this year. My classes in Europe are going great, but they can get a bit stressful. Anyway, I thought that I should send you a present since I can't visit you. When we investigated that case involving my sister almost two years ago, that fingerprint dusting kit Mr. Edgeworth gave us really came in handy. I know you're probably working on a lot of tough cases now, so I sent you your own to use! Not only can it be used for scientific investigational purposes in crime cases, but it can be useful in practical everyday situations as well! (Like finding out who stole the cookie from the cookie jar.) I hope you enjoy the gift! And you don't have to send anything back- defending my sister in court and proving her innocent is more than enough to keep me happy during these holidays. We appreciate everything that you did for us during that hard time, and have a Merry Christmas!_

 _Yours truly,_

 _Ema Skye~ Future Forensic Scientist_

It made Phoenix feel good to hear that Ema, his previous assistant in a past case, was doing quite well. He felt glad that she was grateful for defending Lana, her sister and the defendant in the case. And he was glad that he got to work with her. She was a bright girl for sure, and she had a promising future ahead of her.

"Who's that from?" Maya asked curiously.

"Just a past friend of mine," Phoenix replied. Next, he reached for the other envelope and opened it. He quickly checked the bottom of the letter to see who it was from. _I haven't heard from him in a while, either,_ he thought as he read the name. Then his eyes wandered back to the top and began reading.

 _Phoenix Wright,_

 _Due to traveling abroad and advancing in the studies of my career, it seems that we haven't communicated with each other for about a year now. If you're inclined to know, I will inform you that I'm doing very well. I know it's not often that I send letters unless it's necessary for my job, but something has been bothering me this year. Even after all this time, I've come to realize that I never did properly show you my appreciation for what you risked two Christmases ago. Since I don't plan on returning to Los Angeles anytime soon, I thought to send you this letter for Christmas. As much as I dislike bringing up the trial in which I was the defendant, you deserve to hear this. Thank you for standing up for me when no one else would, and thank you for uncovering the truth behind all of the lies that had been haunting me. After all, I wouldn't be able to write and send this letter that you're currently reading, had you given up when the stakes were high. I hope you have an enjoyable Christmas and many great years to follow._

 _Miles Edgeworth_

"Wow, I didn't know Mr. Edgeworth had that in him," Maya remarked, who had been reading the letter over Phoenix's shoulder. She continued, "What goes around comes around, I guess. All of those people you defend in your job really are grateful." She smiled and punched him lightly in the arm. "You're awesome, Nick."

"Yeah, you're so amazing, Mister Nick!" squealed Pearl as she ran over to jump on his back and hug him. Phoenix grinned, then she added, "And because you're amazing for defending Mystic Maya, I made rez-ur-vay-shuns for tonight!"

Phoenix's smile was replaced with a look of worry. "Uh, what do you mean?"

Pearl blushed as she held her hands to her cheeks and made puppy eyes. "There's this place that makes really good noodles, and it reminded me of that movie Mystic Maya showed me. The one where the fancy dog and the homeless dog fall in love, and they eat spuh-getty and kiss! It's perfect for you and Mystic Maya, because she's your special someone like the dogs in the movie!"

"No, Pearly, not this again..." Maya moaned.

Pearl's face turned a brighter shade of red as she said, "Um, maybe now Mister Nick gets to use his new scarf when he goes out with you?"

Even though this kind of thing would normally bother Phoenix, he chuckled. It was nice to see Maya and Pearl happy and well rather than seeing one locked away in prison while the other having the duties of the Master burdened on her little shoulders. Even after two years had passed, he could now strangely recall that fateful dream he had with perfect clarity. Everything he saw in that dream's future wouldn't happen now because he refused to give up on anyone. He was proud to own his office, proud to wear his attorney's badge. Even if not everyone liked how he flashed the little badge.

"Ooh, let's see if they're showing any Christmas specials on TV!" Maya exclaimed excitedly. She dashed into the reception room with Pearl close at her heels. Phoenix soon followed after, and he entered the room just as Maya clicked the power button on the remote which made the television screen flash to life. "Aww, it's almost over! I love this movie, and I missed it!" she whined as she watched the ending to a classic film.

Phoenix saw on the screen a poor, young boy sitting on top of an old man's shoulders as the boy exclaimed, "God bless us, everyone!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: I loved writing the ending to this! I hope you enjoyed reading my Christmas story this year! And Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!**


End file.
